1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a modular multi-row electrical connector which mates with an array of pins.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
More electronic devices are being designed with an increased number of components which are adapted to be mounted on a printed circuit board. As a result, space on a printed circuit board is one of the prime design considerations when attempting to lay out the locations of various components thereon.
One type of component frequently found on printed circuit boards are square wire pins. Some pins have a nominal dimension of 0.045 inch and are adapted to be force fit through punched holes in the printed circuit board. After the pins are inserted into the printed circuit board, they are wave soldered to provide an electrical connection between the pins and the circuitry formed on the board.
Along with miniaturization, came the advent of 0.025 inch square wire pins. The advantage of the smaller pin is that a smaller mating female connector could be used. Thus, less printed circuit board area would be used. To illustrate this point, normally a 0.045 inch square wire pin array is used to mate with a 0.156 inch center spaced female connector. On the other hand, a 0.025 inch square wire pin can mate with a 0.100 inch center spaced female connector which takes up less space that a 0.156 connector for the same number of circuits or pins. A disadvantage of using 0.025 inch square wire pins is that the preformed holes must be drilled because of the smaller cross section rather than punched as with the 0.045 inch square wire pins. It is more expensive to drill than to punch holes in a printed circuit board. Also, a 0.025 inch square wire pin cannot carry as much current as a 0.045 inch square wire pin.
One reason why 0.045 inch square wire pins were not used in conjunction with 0.100 inch spaced connectors is that if parallel rows of 0.045 inch square wire pins were mounted on a printed circuit board, there would be insufficient material between the rows of pins to maintain both the electrical and mechanical integrity of the board. There is usually a trade-off between efficient use of printed circuit board area vs. manufacturing efficiency.
With respect to the female or pin receiving connector that mates with the array of two rows of pins mounted in a printed circuit board, it is been advantageous to mass terminate the wires to the connectors. Generally speaking, female connectors of this type include a housing made of insulation material having parallel top and bottom rows of elongated terminal receiving cavities, each cavity having a pin receiving opening in a forward end and a wire receiving opening at the rearward end. The pin receiving openings are in the same configuration as the multi-row pin array. A plurality of terminals are provided to be mounted in the cavities. Each terminal has a pin engaging portion at the forward end and a wire engaging portion at the rearward end.
An example of a female connector of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,288. The terminals of each row are mass terminated to insulated wire conductors by conventional insulation displacement means. However, because the wire engaging portions of the terminals of the two rows are oppositely facing, it is impossible to simultaneously terminate both rows of terminals from the same direction. Thus, the application tool must have two wire stuffing members in order to achieve simultaneous mass termination of both rows of each row must be terminated separately with the same wire stuffing member.
One means of producing mass termination of a dual row connector of the type described is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,950. In this patent, two end-to-end rows of terminal receiving cavities (and the wire engaging portion received therein) are all facing in the same direction and are linearly connected together by a living hinge. After mass termination one row is bent back against the other row and latched together. This kind of housing is expensive to manufacture and to assemble.
In addition, if a particular printed circuit board has more than one multi-row array of pins, with each array having a different number of pins, two different female connectors would have to be manufactured. Each connector would have a housing with a different number of circuits.
A modular connector housing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,023 which relates to a method and apparatus for fabricating an electrical harness. The type of connector illustrated therein is a plurality of single row connectors which have an integrally formed housing structure. The housings are connected together by means of a selectively removable web or connecting member.